Underwater
by GleeGeneration23
Summary: Set in the early days of the River Boys arrival. Fed up with his family a defiant Casey goes surfing-the aftermath results in hurt! Casey and Heath and Brax terrified about the chance of survival for their little brother
1. Casey

**Hello Home and Away fans...I have my first story for you...**

**Home and Away is something I am incredibly fond off and I love the Braxton's and I am gutted that the family that revolutionised the show (in my opinion) have been reduced to nothing Casey is by far the favourite for me and after all he's been through to go out the way he has made by heart break.**

**This story will probably be a few chapters (I doubt more than five) and will explore the relationship between the three Braxton brothers in the early days (before Danny, Kyle and all that swag) and it's set in the first few episodes so will have a lot of old characters like Xavier and Romeo and Charlie and Ruby and such...**

**This is not strictly cannon so i apologise if that's what your looking for. **

**Disclaimer-i own nothing **

**Please leave a review i will update with a review with angst and hurt and brotherly bonding in a few days. **

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><p><span>Underwater-<span>

AU-Because Casey is still alive and Heath is still living in Summer Bay-set approximately when the River Boys first arrived. Casey goes surfing to escape the pressure of his family and ends up falling-will the aftermath force Brax and Heath to realise the cracks in their family? Hurt Casey/Protective Brax and Heath

Chapter 1-

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><p>The day was stormy and windy and the waves were crashing round the pier. It was the kind of sea that promised escape to anyone who dared try to surf in it. The dare to surf was calling to just one person in particular. Casey Braxton.<p>

The youngest Braxton had stormed out the house that morning in a horrible mood. Heath and Brax had been arguing their voices loud and demanding something about a deal, Ruby's mother and Angelo and Casey had just grabbed his board and tuned out.

It wasn't like either one of them listened to him anyway.

The waves were big and loud crashing against the rocks the noise deafening and Casey took a deep breath smelling the salt and the wind and feeling that same feeling he had all those years ago when he was little and Brax had held his hand and taught him how to surf, while Heath ruffled his hair and teased him about the sharks.

To Casey nothing was better than that feeling of being at one with the water.

There was a moment where he stood watching and then he ran into the water.

The waves were big, too big, too daunting and suddenly Casey blinked through the waves and sea water to see what looked like a monster of a wave, and then he fell off.

He sunk, the board coming down with him the cord snapping with the force of the pressure and instead of rising Casey floated underwater the colours changing from turquoise to a murky brown and his vison blurring. He heard something that vaguely sounded like his name being shouted from across the bay but he didn't want to hear it, didn't want to answer it, wasn't sure he could answer it.

That being due to his mouth being filled with water.

It was a strange time to contemplate one's mortality but Casey Braxton didn't care that much, the water was filling his lungs preventing him from breathing, filling his mouth and lungs and it was with his vision blurring that Casey realised that it was his number up.

No more pretending to be tough in the company of Heath and Brax and the rest of the River Boys, no more attempting to prove that he wasn't scared of what would happen to either of his brothers, no more attempting to hide the worry and the exhaustion that being a Braxton did to him-no more attempting to hide how tired he was.

No more anything.

Just peace.

Just nothing…

And then like all the things in Casey's life it all went to complete and utter shit.

He was aware as blurry as his vision was that someone was dragging him upwards the iron grip on his left hand replaced with another on his right dragging him upwards onto the sand the usually soft grains harsh on his face.

"Casey" came a voice above from him that sounded like Brax but Casey couldn't be sure, all he knew was that there was a darkness coming to him (and even his consciousness-in a voice that sounded suspiciously like Romeo told him that statement was cheesy) and all he wanted to do was sleep.

"Casey" came a wild voice to his left sand flying to the side of his face, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Heath and Casey winced internally-both of his brothers would be so angry with him. Then there was something that could only be described as a pounding on his chest that made his already disorientated head swim.

"Breathe" came a voice that he identified as Heath and Casey wanted to obey his brother but couldn't seem to open his eyes from the darkness that was binding them shut, his chest tightened and Casey felt something distinctly as rebellion feeding its way into his chest. Why the hell should he listen to his brothers when he knew that in doing so would result in nothing but his pain?

When the hell had they ever listened to him anyway?

"Son of a bitch!" Heath shouted and apparently throwing caution to the wind he began to shake Casey his hands moving desperately alternating between shaking his body and apparently giving his burning and shattered airways air.

"Casey" came a voice its usual strong tone sombre with desperation and Casey would have furrowed his brow if he could have remembered where his brow was and if he could remember how to use his facial expressions, that voice was Brax.

There was something desperately pressing down on his neck probably some fingers "No" came a voice that was stuttered with anguish and wow-was that really what Brax sounded like? "No, no, no Case…"

"Shit" came Heath's voice and Casey struggled to hear it over the pounding in his chest, the throbbing in his leg (and wow when had he hurt his leg?) "Casey" he pleaded and God Heath had never pleaded before since Casey could remember.

Why the hell couldn't they let him go to sleep-to give into the darkness that was calling his name like an old friend?

"Hold on" what the hell did he have to hold on to?

Fingers desperately traced the corner of his face before lips pressed to his forcing air down his starved diaphragm. "Casey please" came Brax's voice again and another set of hands were running through his hair the hands shaking as someone muttered "Come on again…" and then the pounding continued.

"Come on Case" came Heath's voice still hitting Casey and now having reduced to the slapping him across the face (well It was nice to know that his big brother was back to normal) but the hand stilled as Brax's voice came over "All you have to do is breath" he said his voice pinched with fear "I promise you mate all you have to do is breath"

"Come on you son of a bitch" Heath growled and Casey's hand twitched with the effort to give him the finger. Why the hell didn't he rebel when he had the chance? Why the hell did he still have to listen to his damn brothers?

And suddenly the pain came in full force. The sensation of his chest being hammered into by a pair of complete madmen, blood seeping out of what could only be a nasty cut on his leg and his airways screaming for air.

And then he was aware of giving up the fight, the water spitting up from his lungs and hitting him full in the face some leaking from his nose. "Yes!" came a whooping that sounded like Heath "Come on…yes!" Casey would have rolled his eyes if he could have remembered how to use them.

"Easy" came Brax from above him and when Casey opened his leaking eyes he saw he saw Brax's face leaning over him several shades whiter and something wet running down his face. Was it raining? "Rain" he muttered and Brax exchanged a mystified and panicked expression to someone above him, did they think he had lost his mind?

Had he lost his mind?

"Leg hurts" he muttered and Heath who was obviously applying pressure to his leg snorted wiping a hand across his face. "Suck it up" he muttered and Casey coughed again-even in pain Heath was still the same.

But then he felt the darkness closing in and other voices he identified as Ruby, Charlie, Bianca, Xavier, Dex and Romeo and maybe Mr Stewart and John Palmer were swimming around him and he wanted to yell at them to tell them to leave him alone with his brothers who would always have his back despite everything they had been through.

Snatches of speech came to him flirting through on ear and out the other.

"Ambulance is on its way"

"Leg looks banged up-must have cut it on a rock"

"Don't move him, spinal injuries and internally secondary drowning"

"…potential…concussion"

Those sentences ran around him in circles confusing him, making him tired when he wanted nothing to do than to catch up with them.

But above all when his eyes shut again it was to the panicked look on Brax's face and the desperate, angry look on Heath's and then the only thing he remembered before his eyes slammed shut for what he hoped was the last time was the desperate shout that wrenched his way out of his eldest brother's throat.

"Casey…"

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><p><span><strong>Please let me know what you thought i will try and update soon x<strong>


	2. Brax

**Hi Everyone I am back!**

**This chapter is primarily from Brax's point of view-I love Brax the way he cares for both of his brothers is really fun to write-the next chapter will be from Heath's point of view and then I think there'll be one more after that. **

**I got a couple of questions about Kyle-due to this being at the start of the River Boys stay he wont be involved however I might revisit this fandom to write about him who knows?**

**I found Brax difficult so let me know what you thought-updating is a bit tricky I have a lot of essay deadlines coming up so...**

**Disclaimer-nothing is mine**

**And Always Leave A Review **

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><p><span>Underwater<span>

Chapter 2-

Casey floats in and out and Brax and Heath are left in the cold-Brax's Point of View

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><p>They had tried to stay with him. Anybody with half a brain would have noticed the desperation in Heath and Brax's faces as the desperately fought against the people holding them back from Casey's limp form.<p>

The two brothers (usually the tough ones) had let their stoic expressions slide. Heath's face was of pure panic as the paramedics took over shouting incomprehensible things at each other and Brax had shut off all emotions his face nothing but a sheet of desperation.

"Boss" shouted one of the paramedics over the crowds that Charlie was doing her best to disperse "Were losing him"

And that was when Heath broke. It took the combined and unlikely strength from the trio of Xavier, Romeo and Dex to keep him back long enough for paramedics to lift Casey up and into the ambulance his skin still the same sickly colour of white and his blood still stained on the sand.

Brax couldn't move, he listened briefly flitting in and out to Heath's shouts that were borderline sobs "Brax" that was Charlie and Brax looked down seeing her through his blurry eyes.

The noise was deafening and through whatever water was in his eyes (sea or tears he wasn't sure) he could see the ambulance with one of the most precious things in Brax's life driving away.

"Move" he said flatly pushing her aside-for once not caring about her, he marched past Heath gripping the latter's hand, dragging him with such a purpose Heath was staggering to keep up and the crowd parting like the red sea in front of him.

"Slow down fella's" came Alf's voice but Brax didn't hear him until the old man-with more speed than Brax gave him credit for jumped in front of the car wresting the keys out of Brax's numb and loose fingers. He could hear Heath protesting but still he could bring himself to force any kind of sound out of him.

"Come on" Alf said patting him on the back "I'll give you boys a lift" Brax nodded in an attempt to show some level of both intelligence and gratitude and pushed Heath into the backseat.

The ride to the hospital was silent. Alf didn't try to speak he just drove something that both Heath and Brax appreciated because that meant neither one of them had to ask any questions, or worse wonder why the hell Casey was in that water in the first place.

To Brax his mind was a sea of endless questions. It made his blood boil that Casey had gone into the water in the first place even though he knew that he shouldn't. When Brax and Heath and Casey had all been young Brax had drilled into them as one of the golden rules when he took them surfing-you don't surf in a storm.

And then there was the other part of him that saw every time he closed his eyes Casey's still figure lying on the sand the skin of his little brother's face paper white his eyes closed and unmoving. He could remember the panic being fed into his bloodstream as Casey lay unmoving. He remembered the desperation gripping his insides as Casey still wouldn't respond and then he remembered the horror that maybe…just maybe…Casey wasn't responding for a reason…that maybe he had failed in the one job he had been entrusted with all those years ago.

It was him, Heath and Casey against the world.

If he didn't have his brothers then he didn't have anything.

Without his brothers the infamous Daryl 'Brax' Braxton was nothing.

When they arrived at the hospital Heath sprinted ahead of Brax who walked slowly feeling his stomach cramp with nerves.

Sid was at the desk his face drawn and blank and Heath skidded to a halt in front of him, Brax following behind unable to breathe as he realised with a sickening sense of weak knees about what he was going to hear.

"He's alive" Sid said shortly and Brax took in a huge breath unable to control the tremors in his hands as he let the words wash over him.

"But it's not brilliant" Heath said his face drawn and controlled and Brax blinked unsure of what he looked like. If his face was mirroring his inside emotions then he didn't want to know what he looked like.

"No" Sid said "It's not-he suffered head trauma from being underwater so long and his leg needs to be operated on. We need to operate on his chest and then his leg"

He turned to stare at them "Casey is young, strong and a fighter-he should be ok-but I won't lie to either one of you-his chances are not great"

Brax nodded carefully moving his hands so there were trapped in his pocket. Sid moved to the room mentioning something about scrubbing up, Brax swallowed heavily and watched as Heath sat down looking as lost as he felt. How the hell had this become their life? Just last night Casey had been sat eating pizza with them and they were laughing-it was one of the good nights that were rare now in their household what with Heath's quest for power and Brax's quest for peace.

And if Brax had been a few seconds late then he wouldn't be sat waiting for Casey to get out of the hospital he would be sat in a cold morgue waiting to identify that well known and loved face that was his baby brother.

The thought made his head spin so much that he had had to stand up and run. He didn't get very far when he realised that something was coming up through his windpipe and he bend over hacking half of his breakfast into the nearest trashcan.

"Brax" Heath said forcing him to stand up straight comforting him in a way that he had never done before and Brax bit his lip. He was the eldest brother, he was the protector and right now he had to suck it up and protect.

Casey was the main priority. Nothing else mattered.

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><p><span><strong>And Tell me what you thought-next chapter up soon.<strong>


	3. Heath

**Everyone This is the third chapter of Underwater**

**This is from Heath's point of view so I hope you enjoyed.**

**Next Chapter will be the last and for a complete plot twist I'm basing it from Alf's point of view-he is one of the longest characters and after rewatching some old episodes I realised that he didn't seem to hate the Braxton's as much as everyone else. **

**Thank you to all for your reviews-I will hopefully update soon however I am under the grindstone at the minute so bear with me I might be a bit slow. **

**Disclaimer-I own nothing-but this situation (if I owned Home and Away none of these brothers would have left-just saying) **

**And let me know what you thought**

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><p><span>Underwater-<span>

Chapter 3-

In which Brax and Heath wait anxiously and Casey finally comes out of surgery

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><p>The last twelve hours had been a blur. Casey had been in surgery for his chest, had come out and been placed back in for his legs. Either way Heath was beginning to forget a time where he hadn't been sat in a hard chair staring at the wall.<p>

Things were bleak. He wasn't a stupid man and leaning against the wall watching Brax slowly disintegrate was pulling chunks of him apart at the seams.

Heath stared blowing out a breath-he wasn't an idiot-it had always been Brax and Casey against the world and he knew that. He knew where he was-the true outsider, the hot headed brother that didn't think before he acted. But God damn it he was still Casey's big brother and the emotions that had slammed into him when he and Brax had been forced to resuscitate Casey there and then on the sand had nearly knocked him off his feet.

Brax shifted slightly in his chair and Heath smiled at him the emotions stiff on his face but still the only way he knew he could let Brax know that he was there with him, that the emotions they were feeling were the same. He swallowed slightly and leaned forwards for once unsure of what to say.

He was saved however the inevitable awkwardness by Sid who came out the hospital scrubs he was wearing stained with blood-and oh wow-that was Casey's blood and now he understood why Brax had thrown up because the combination of his brother's blood, sea water, and the bottle of whiskey they had consumed the night before was really doing wonders to his already churning stomach.

"Considering" Sid said looking at his clipboard "He did exceptionally well" Brax seemed to sag and Heath grinned leaning back against the wall the relief punching through him with a dizzying effect.

"Can we see him?" Brax asked with that tone that said he was only asking to be polite. It seemed that Sid wasn't a stupid man because he got that as well and nodded.

"He's out for it" he warned "It'll be the rest of the day before he comes out and even then h's chest and lungs and legs will need heavy x-raying" Brax nodded looking endearing like a dog desperate for its master to leave it the fuck alone and Heath knew the feeling. Now he knew Casey was going to be alright all he wanted to do was just see him.

Yes Heath Braxton had feelings.

And yes he cared about Brax and Casey.

And they both knew that.

Didn't they?

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><p>Brax nearly staggered when they walked into the room Casey was in and Heath knew it was only a combination of the deadly Braxton pride, the need to be strong, and the hard shell Brax had covered himself in at a young age that kept him standing.<p>

Heath knew the feeling. Casey looked terrible.

Their brother, their baby brother was lying on the bed what looked like an oxygen mask pumping air into his lungs that had been starved of them only a few hours ago. Tubes were snaking around him, weaving into the bloodstream like snakes and Heath's breath caught in his throat while Brax gave a long sigh at the sight of the sickly green colour of Casey's skin.

"Jese Grommet" Heath said referring to the nickname they had given Casey when was little as the two brother's sank into chairs opposite each taking a hand.

"Look at you" he continued when it became apparent that Brax wouldn't be speaking anytime soon. He ran his hand along Casey's and wished that there was something he could do. He was Heath Braxton for crying out loud! He didn't do helpless, he didn't do waiting, and he did action.

Unfortunately even he knew you couldn't punch the sea repeatedly.

"Hey" Brax said and Heath looked up his eyes flitting to Casey "Com on kid were all missing you" he paused before looking up at his brother as if he expected him Heath to have the answers-that stirred something inside of him and Heath looked down again-it was Brax that had the answers-always had always would have.

The fact that he didn't have them now scared him more than he cared to admit.

"I don't know what to say" Brax said finally, he seemed to struggle with the words "I don't know what to do"

Heath hissed slightly "Don't say anything" he shrugged and Brax leaned back onto his chair sighing looking older than Heath had ever seen him.

"What do we do then?" he asked and Heath shrugged feeling the helplessness soaking the room like water.

"Nothing" he said finally accepting the realisation of the situation they were in and the game they were playing against the sick thing called fate.

"We do nothing" he paused before linking his fingers with Casey "We just sit here and wait"

And that's exactly what they did.

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><p><strong><span>Roll on final chapter x<span>**


	4. Alf-The Ending

**Hello Everyone this is the final chapter! **

**This is from Alf's point of view-he is one of the original characters so to write this from his point of view was a huge challenge.**

**This is the last chapter so I would like to say a massive thank you to all those who have read and reviewed and so on. Watch this space because someday I will be returning to this fandom some day**

**Disclaimer-only in my imagination do I own these three and trust me if I did none of them would leave...ever...**

**Alf was difficult to write so I hope he came across alright **

**And again thank you all x **

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><p><span>Underwater-<span>

Chapter 4-Alf

In which Alf knows that these three boys are going to be alright

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><p>Water Alf knows is a dangerous thing. Having lived on the dangerous coast of Summer Bay for years Alf has seen the occasional young idiot drown tragically, succumbed to the powerful dark waves.<p>

But there was something about Casey Braxton that had made Alf's stomach turn. Something about the desperation that was written on Heath Braxton's face and Brax's look of distraught grief that had made him pause.

Alf wasn't an idiot. He had grown up near the Mangrove River he had heard the stories of Danny Braxton and the gang he had started and he wasn't as fickle as John and Angelo and Collen who thought that these boys were devil spawn and should be treated like freaks.

Sometimes you couldn't help the life you had been born into.

Sometimes you couldn't help but be yourself. Even if you were a River Boy.

And if you were pushed more and more you only got more violent.

But still Alf hadn't shook the feeling that there was something about Casey Braxton lying on the sand blood pouring from his leg and oblivious to the chaos around him that made him feel slightly sick. After he had dropped the boys off he had gone home and poured himself a large scotch.

There was something about the way Brax had thrown up and the way that Heath had become the caregiver that had sparked something in Alf that had made him scowl.

He remembered all the people he had seen die in this Bay and all the families he had seen destroyed. His own had, had swings taken at it that had left them all reeling, but God….

There was something about the River Boys.

No there was something about those Braxton Boys.

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><p>He was thinking over this when he entered the café the next day and he saw Xavier, Romeo and Dex all three of them Casey Braxton's friends sat at the table faces strained and tired but still with an animated look to their faces of people who had gotten good news after a night of worry.<p>

"How's the kid?" he asked and he took a small petty level of satisfaction of their reactions. "He woke up" Xavier said smiling brightly-the kid was really like a nauseating ray of sunshine Alf thought irritably he wasn't as young as he looked there was only so much happiness he could take a day.

"Good" he said ignoring the relief he felt and couldn't explain. He turned around ignoring Irene's confused look as he rushed out the door.

He sat in the car for longer than he anticipated. What the hell was it about these three brothers? What was it that made Alf want to check on them and make sure they were alright? When did he worry about them like they were his own?

But there was the crux of the matter at heart which was that the three of them were utterly one piece. Alf had no doubt that if one of them died the other two would crumble and fall.

And the truly tragic thing was that these three kids (because compared to him they were still that) were utterly alone.

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><p>So it was with a surprised and yet heavy heart that he found himself outside Summer Bay's Hospital unsure of what to do and what to say. But still he didn't know why he was there in the first place.<p>

But maybe somebody had to make sure that these three (and he meant Brax and Heath) specifically were at least attempting to look after themselves.

He really didn't hold out hope that Sid had convinced them to go home and have a decent meal.

When he did eventually make his way to the room he stopped at the doorway. And he couldn't stop the smile that formed his way onto his face.

Casey was sat in bed. Sat up and though rather pale and clinging to an oxygen mask but there was something like a smile painted on his face. He looked tired and his breathing was laboured, but he was alive.

Heath was perched on the edge of the bed grinning that wide grin that had lost it's cockiness and showed a rather simplistic (and dare he say human) side to the usual tough man.

Brax was leaning against the chair, his eyes still a storm of emotions and barely controlled feelings that still hadn't been released. But there was something about his posture that showed how young and vulnerable he was and Alf frowned wondering what hell of a burden had been placed on him. And where the hell his parents had been when Brax had been growing up?

But still there was something about the three of them sat there, being together that made something in Alf wrench.

He didn't need to be there, he realised. These boys didn't need him, they didn't need anyone.

And as Alf walked away he smiled to himself. Those three boys were going to be alright.

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><p><strong><span>And this is where we end on i hope you enjoyed x<span> **


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